Rocky Top has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Rocky Top at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rocky Top’s climate
Read from where Rocky Top sits among Tennessee’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Living with Rocky Top’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
184 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 25.
About 3" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through March. Heating is 82% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 17 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 87°.
The nicest months are April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →What a year in Rocky Top feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
3 inches of snow, 55 of rain and melt
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 25.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Rocky Top averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 89% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Rocky Top compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Tennessee.
Rocky Top weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 28° | 4.9" | 1.1" | 12 | 1 | 29° – 44° |
| February | 51° | 31° | 5.5" | 1.5" | 12 | 1 | 31° – 48° |
| March | 61° | 37° | 5.2" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 5.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 54° | 3.9" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 4.5" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.8" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 3.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.9" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 59° | 36° | 4.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| December | 50° | 31° | 5.7" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 55.2" | 3.1" | 134 | 2 |
Heating and cooling a home in Rocky Top
82% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 51°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Rocky Top’s climate
What is the coldest month in Rocky Top?
January, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 28°.
What is the hottest month in Rocky Top?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 17 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Rocky Top get?
About 3 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Rocky Top?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 25, and the last spring frost by April 22.
What is the rainiest month in Rocky Top?
December, with 5.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 55 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rocky Top.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Rocky Top itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Norris, TN (5 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.